Pneumatic cushioned stool.



PATBNTED AUG. 14, 1906.

0. SMITH. PNEUMATIC GUSHIONED STOOL.

nnrrnn srnrns PATENT oiarion CHESTER SMITH, OF OAK HILL, OHIO, ASSIGNOROF ONE-HALF TO DAVID E. EVANS, OF OAK HILL, OHIO.

PNEUMATIC CIUSHIONED STOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1906.

Application filed March 9, 1906. Serial No. 305,167.

. To (ZZZ whom it may concern- Be it known that I, CHESTER SMITH, acitizen of the United States, residing at Oak Hill, in the county ofJackson and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Pneumatic Cushioned Stools; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of ref erence marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements inpneumatically-cushioned stools; and the object of the invention is toproduce a simple and efficient device of this nature in which a pistonis provided which is mounted upon a' suitable support and in which theshank portion of a seat of a stool is adapted to work, said cylinderbeing provided with a valve, whereby as the seat is raised air isallowed to enter the cylinder, while the valve 'is closed when thepiston is forced within the cylinder, thus forming an air-cushion.

The invention consists, further, in other details of construction andcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will be hereinafter fullydescribed and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 is a perspective view of my im proved pneumatically-cushioned stool,and Fig. 2 is a sectional view longitudinally through the same.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, Adesignates a cylinder which may be of any suitable size and having itslower end closed and is supported by the tables B, which are secured tothe legs C. Branching from the lower portion of said cylinder is a pipeD, having a constricted portion D, forming a seat for a valve E, whichis fixed to a stem E, passing through one end of said pipe D. A button Fis fixed to the outer end of said stem E, and a spring H is interposedbetween a shoulder upon said. stem and the end of the pipe D, wherebythe conical or inclined surface of said valve E may be normally heldseated against a corresponding inclined portion of the surface of saidpipe D. The valve E is made, preferably, of flexible material and ishollowed out, as at e, in order. that the peripheral edge of the valvemay expand under pressure of air coming against the same from thecylinder to se curely hold the valve seated.

N designates a piston which has its lower end flaring and adapted toengage snugly the inner surface of the cylinder and is provided with astem N, which works through the upper end of the cylinder and has a seatQ fixed thereto.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The piston being in itslowest position in the cylinder, when it is desired to elevate the seatthe latter may be raised and with it the piston, causing a vacuum in thelower portion of the cylinder. As the vacuum forms, the atmosphericpressure bearing upon the valve will cause the same to unseat and allowair to enter the lower portion of the cylinder. The seat being adjustedto the right height and when a weight is placed upon the seat the pistonwill be forced downward and compress the air in the lower portion of thecylinder, forming an air-cushion, and the compressed air will cause thevalve, which is normally seated by the spring, to more securely retainits seat and prevent the escape of air. In the event of its beingdesired to lower the seat still further while a person is still seatedupon the same the valve-stem may be pushed in, causing the valve tounseat and allowing part of the air which has been compressed in thecylinder to escape, and in the event of its being desired to elevate theseat it may be done by simply raising the same, the piston forming asuction whereby more air may be drawn through the valve-regulated pipe.

It will be noted from the foregoing that by the provision of apneumatically-cushioned seat, as shown and described, an automatic meansis afforded whereby the seat may be held at any desired height withinthe limits of the apparatus and at all times forming a cushion of airwhich may be easily and quickly regulated.

What I claim is- 1. A pneumatically-cushioned stool comprising acylinder having a closed bottom, an open-ended pipe leading into thelower portion of the cylinder, a tapering valve-seat within said pipe, avalve-stem passing into said pipe, a tapering valve at the end of saidstem and a spring bearing upon the end of said pipe and said stem,whereby the valve may be normally seated, a piston mounted within saidcylinder, a stem secured to said piston, and a seat secured to saidstem, as set forth.

2. A pneumatically-cushioned stool comprising a cylinder having a closedbottom, an

openended pipe leading into the lower portion of the cylinder, atapering valve-seat within said pipe, a valve-stem passing into saidpipe, a tapering flexible valve at the end of said stem, said stemhaving a conoaved end, a spring cooperating with the stem and pipe tonormally hold said valve seated, a 15 piston mounted Within saidcylinder, and a seat secured to the stem of said piston, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

CHESTER SMITH. Witnesses:

, T. M. JoNEs,

CHAs. O. RAYNER.

